53 percent of sophomores participate in Bicker

Despite an increase in the number of bickerees, the overall acceptance rate for selective clubs was higher than last year’s with 63.7 percent, or 563 of 884 students, accepted. Last spring, the clubs took 62 percent, or 515 of 831 bickerees.

The acceptance rates of most individual clubs fell between between 63 and 69.9 percent. The outliers were Cap & Gown Club, the most selective club with 46 percent, and Tower Club, the least selective with 76.8 percent.

Ivy Club was the least bickered club but also the second most selective after Cap.

The total number of bickerees included 716 sophomores, according to an Interclub Council press release. This number represents 53 percent of the sophomore class, according to data from College Facebook.

Four of the six clubs grew in size to an overall average of 94 new members per club as opposed to last year’s average of 86 new members per club. The exceptions were Cottage and Ivy, each of whom accepted five fewer members than last year.

The most significant increase in size came from Cannon Dial Elm Club, which added 39 more members than it added last spring. Cannon president and Interclub Council president Connor Clegg ’14 said that the higher number of acceptances resulted from the jump in the number of bickerees, adding that the club budget will change to accommodate the increase in membership.

Among the Class of 2016, the acceptance rate for selective clubs was 73.9 percent. The total number of students in eating clubs will be released later this month, ICC adviser Mark Bur ’08 said.

Twenty-one percent of sophomore students who applied to a club that participated in the multi-club Bicker system ranked two clubs, according to an ICC press release. Clegg said that the 3 percent increase from last year was a positive sign.

“[The multi-club Bicker option] increases the opportunity to join a club for people and to get a sense of the different clubs and make a more informed decision, which was definitely a motivating factor for the reforms, so from kind of the general view, I think this is another great step forward in improving the process,” Clegg explained.

Cap president Justin Perez ’14 said he hopes for more dialogue about the multi-club Bicker system over the next few years.

“There could be some change in policy. It might be cool to see kids bickering three clubs, but I don’t think it’s going to happen anytime in the near future,” he said.

Clegg said that the ICC will likely meet to discuss the recent admission cycle within the next week and release a student survey for feedback sometime in the next few weeks.